This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
An electric sander may include a housing and a motor-driven sanding platen. The housing may define a handle and/or a gripping surface enabling a user to manipulate the sander and apply the sander to a workpiece. The sanding platen may be driven in a reciprocating path or in an orbital path relative to the housing.
The sander may include a fan that cools the motor during operation of the sander. Such fans are typically molded or cast as a single monolithic body from a single material. Fans that are cast from a metallic material are typically stronger and more durable than molded plastic fans. It is desirable for the fan to be as rotationally balanced as possible, however, tight dimensional tolerances can be difficult to achieve through casting.